I think I’ve found the problem

May 18, 2018 Tom Hanna 0 Comments

Originally published 6/2/2004, but needed a revisit:

TheNewMexicoChannel.com – Health – Study: Junk Food Makes Up 30% Of Americans’ Diet
“The study, published in the June issue of the Journal of Food Chemistry and Analysis, found that three food groups — sweets and desserts, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages — make up almost 25 percent of all calories consumed by Americans. “

I think I’ve found the problem. Back in my day, young man, sweets and desserts, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages were not considered “food groups.” Back in my day, dessert was something you ate after you finished your vegetables. Soft drinks were an occasional alternative to juice, which might be sugary but also had lots of vitamins. Alcoholic beverages were something consumed by adults in moderation, unless they were young adults whose bodies could still handle it or alcoholics. I think the very idea of considering these things “food groups” instead of what they are – indulgences – points to the core of the problem. You can complain until your red in the face about these “food groups”, but your very choice of words has lent them a legitimate part in the diet where 20 years ago they were extras.